President Shimon Peres told his personal story at the central
Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony at Yad Vashem on Wednesday.

“I was born in Wieszniev. Half of the townspeople came to Israel. The
other half perished,” said Peres. “After the war, I learned that on
Sunday August 30th, a dark dawn had come upon my hometown. The Nazis
who had seized it ordered the Jews to pack their belongings and
present themselves at their doorsteps.

“The SS officers passed by striking them and told them to proceed
towards the synagogue.

“One of them cried out ‘Jews, save yourselves!’ The Germans shot down
those who tried to escape. The rest reached the synagogue which was
made of wood. The doors were locked. All were burned alive.

“That was the last day of Rabbi Zvi Meltzer, my grandfather, my
mentor. He was consumed by fire with his Tallit on his head.

“That was the last Jewish day in Wieszniev.

“Not even a single Jew remained alive.”

Peres recalled his visit to Wieszniev after the war and said, “Not a
Jewish mark remains. Not a house, not a synagogue, not a school, not
a cemetery, only a heap of stones.

“I am proud of our belief that there is no one Man superior to
another Man.

“There is no superior race, only deep roots.”

Peres reminded the audience of Israel’s non-Jewish citizens and of
the importance of them not being discriminated again.

“We are obligated to make sure that none of them are ever
discriminated because of their nationality or religion,” he
said. “This is the essence of the existence of the State of Israel.
Israel is a defense shield, a safe haven and a great spirit. Had the
State of Israel existed during those days, I am convinced that things
would have been different. We have paid a high price but we have not
lost faith.”

Like Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whose speech at the ceremony
focused on the Iranian threat, Peres called on humanity to “learn
from the lessons of the Holocaust and stand strong against
existential threats before it is too late.”

He added, “Iran is at the heart of this threat. She is the center of
terror, she represents a threat to world peace. There is no reason to
undermine Israel´s capacities to face this threat, whether visible or
hidden.”

Peres concluded by saying, “We came today to say Kaddish in memory of
our beloved ones who were killed in the Holocaust. We came to say and
to swear ‘Never again’. We came to say that we are a peaceful people
who can defend itself.